Triazole compounds as transforming growth factor (TGF) inhibitors

ABSTRACT

Novel triazole compounds, including derivatives thereof, to intermediates for their preparation, to pharmaceutical compositions containing them and to their medicinal use are described. The compounds of the present invention are potent inhibitors of transforming growth factor (“TGF”)-β signaling pathway. They are useful in the treatment of various TGF-related disease states including, for example, cancer and fibrotic diseases.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/412,079 filed on Sep. 18, 2002 and 60/484,535 filed on Jul. 2, 2003, each of which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to novel triazole compounds, including derivatives thereof, to intermediates for their preparation, to pharmaceutical compositions containing them and to their medicinal use. The compounds of the present invention are potent inhibitors of the transforming growth factor (“TGF”)-β signaling pathway. They are useful in the treatment of TGF-β related disease states including, for example, cancer and fibrotic diseases.

TGF-β activates both antiproliferative and tumor-promoting signaling cascades. Three mammalian TGF-β isoforms have been identified (TGF-βI, -βII, and -βIII). TGF-β production promotes tumor progression while its blockade enhances antitumor activity. Blockade of TGF-β enhances antitumor immune responses and inhibits metastasis. Thus there exists a need in the art for compounds that inhibit the TGF-β signaling pathway. The present invention, as described below, answers such a need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel compound containing a core triazole ring substituted with at least one substituted or unsubstituted 2-pyridyl moiety and at least one R¹ moiety, as set forth herein, and all pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs, tautomers, hydrates and solvates thereof. In a compound of the invention, the substituted or unsubstituted 2-pyridyl moiety and R¹ moiety can be in an 1,2-, 1,3- or 1,4-relationship around the core triazole ring; preferably, in an 1,2- or ortho relationship.

The present invention provides a compound of the formula (Ia), (Ib), or (Ic):

and all pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs, tautomers, hydrates and solvates thereof, where R¹, R³, R⁶, and s are each as set forth below,

with the proviso that R¹ is not a naphthyl or phenyl; and

with the proviso that when R¹ is a phenyl fused with an aromatic or non-aromatic cyclic ring of 5–7 members containing up to three N atoms, said N is other than —NH or —NC₁₋₆alkyl or if said N is —NH or —NC₁₋₆alkyl, then R¹ must be further substituted; and

with the proviso that when R¹ is a phenyl fused with an aromatic or non-aromatic cyclic ring of 5–7 members containing 1–3 heteroatoms independently selected from O and S, then R¹ must be further substituted.

In formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above:

R¹ is a saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic C₃–C₂₀ mono-, bi- or polycyclic ring optionally containing at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O and S, wherein R¹ can optionally be further independently substituted with at least one moiety independently selected from the group consisting of: carbonyl, halo, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, hydroxy, oxo, mercapto, (C₁–C₆)alkylthio, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₅–C₁₀)aryl or (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl, (C₅–C₁₀)aryloxy or (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryloxy, (C₅–C₁₀)ar(C₁–C₆)alkyl or (C₅–C₁₀)heteroar(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₅–C₁₀)ar(C₁–C₆)alkoxy or (C₅–C₁₀)heteroar(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, HO—(C═O)—, ester, amido, ether, amino, amino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, di(C₁–C₆)alkylamino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclyl(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl- and di(C₁–C₆)alkylamino, cyano, nitro, carbamoyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylcarbonyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxycarbonyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylaminocarbonyl, di(C₁–C₆)alkylaminocarbonyl, (C₅–C₁₀)arylcarbonyl, (C₅–C₁₀)aryloxycarbonyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylsulfonyl, and (C₅–C₁₀)arylsulfonyl;

preferably, R¹ can optionally be further independently substituted with zero to two moieties independently selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₅–C₁₀)ar(C₁–C₆)alkoxy or (C₅–C₁₀)heteroar(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, amino, amino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, di(C₁–C₆)alkylamino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, and (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclyl(C₁–C₆)alkyl;

each R³ is independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, halo, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, phenyl, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, hydroxy, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, phenoxy, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-O—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-O—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-S—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—SO₂—, O₂N—, NC—, amino, Ph(CH₂)₁₋₆HN—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl HN—, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino, [(C₁–C₆)alkyl]₂-amino, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—NH—, amino(C═O)—, aminoO₂S—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—[(((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, phenyl-(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—, HO—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, H₂N(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, [(C₁–C₆)alkyl]₂-N—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-NH—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-NH—(C═O)— and (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—O—; preferably, R³ is hydrogen or (C₁–C₆)alkyl; more preferably, R³ is hydrogen or methyl;

where alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, amino of R³ is optionally substituted by at least one substituent independently selected from (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, halo, H₂N—, Ph(CH₂)₁₋₆HN—, and (C₁–C₆)alkylHN—;

s is an integer from one to five; preferably, one to two; more preferably, one;

and

R⁶ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, phenyl, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(SO₂)—, phenyl-(SO₂)—, H₂N—(SO₂)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(SO₂)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(SO₂)—, phenyl-NH—(SO₂)—, (phenyl)₂N—(SO₂)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-O—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—(C═O)—, H₂N—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-NH—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-NH—(C═O)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(C═O)—, (phenyl)₂N—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, (C₅-C ₁₀)heteroaryl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, and (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—; preferably, R⁶ is hydrogen, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, or (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl;

where alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, benzyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, amino of R⁶ is optionally substituted with at least one moiety independently selected from the group consisting of halo, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—, formyl, NC—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, (C₃C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-(C═O)—, HO—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-O—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-NH—(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-NH—(C═O)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂—N—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, hydroxy, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—, phenoxy, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-O—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-O—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—O—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—O—, phenyl-(C═O)—O—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-(C═O)—O—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-(C═O)—O—, O₂N—, amino, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂-amino, formamidyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-(C═O)—NH—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, phenyl-(C═O)—[(C₁–C₆)alkyl-N]—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂NH—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-SO₂NH—, phenyl-SO₂NH—, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic-SO₂NH— and (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-SO₂NH—; preferably, R⁶ is substituted with zero to two groups independently selected from the group consisting of (C₁–C₆)alkyl and (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl;

wherein the phenyl or heteroaryl moiety of a R⁶ substituent is optionally further substituted with at least one radical independently selected from the group consisting of halo, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perfluoro(C₁–C₆)alkyl and perfluoro(C₁–C₆)alkoxy.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formulae (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic), each as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

Each of R¹ above can optionally be further substituted by at least one R^(2a) group, as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), as set forth above, is

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), (Ib) or (Ic), each as set forth above, is

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein and where the proviso language does not apply.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), (Ib) or (Ic), each as set forth above, is selected from the group consisting of:

and where the proviso language does not apply.

In another embodiment of the invention R¹ of formula (Ia), (Ib) or (Ic), each as set forth above, is selected from the group consisting of:

and where the proviso language does not apply.

In another embodiment of the invention, R¹ of formula (Ia), (Ib) or (Ic), each as set forth above, is selected from the group consisting of:

where R^(2a) is as set forth herein and where the proviso language does not apply.

The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one compound of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The invention further provides a method of preparation of a compound of the invention.

The invention still further provides a method of preventing or treating a TGF-related disease state in an animal or human comprising the step of administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of the invention to the animal or human suffering from the TGF-related disease state.

The invention still further provides the use of a compound of the invention in the preparation of a medicament for the prevention or treatment of a TGF-related disease state in an animal or human.

Definitions

As used herein, the article “a” or “an” refers to both the singular and plural form of the object to which it refers.

As used herein, the term “alkyl,” as well as the alkyl moieties of other groups referred to herein (e.g., alkoxy) refers to a linear or branched saturated hydrocarbon (e.g., methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, secondary-butyl, tertiary-butyl).

As used herein, the term “cycloalkyl” refers to a mono or bicyclic carbocyclic ring (e.g., cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, cyclooctyl, cyclononyl, cyclopentenyl, cyclohexenyl, bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanyl, bicyclo[3.2.1]octanyl and bicyclo[5.2.0]nonanyl).

As used herein, the term “halogen” or “halo” refers to fluoro, chloro, bromo or iodo or fluoride, chloride, bromide or iodide.

As used herein, the term “halo-substituted alkyl” or “haloalkyl” refers to an alkyl radical, as set forth above, substituted with one or more halogens, as set forth above, including, but not limited to, chloromethyl, dichloromethyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, and 2,2,2-trichloroethyl.

As used herein, the term “perhaloalkyl” refers to an alkyl radical, as set forth above, where each hyrdrogen of the alkyl group is replaced with a “halogen” or “halo”, a set forth above.

As used herein, the term “alkenyl” refers to a linear or branched hydrocarbon chain radical containing at least two carbon atoms and at least one double bond. Examples include, but are not limited to, ethenyl, 1-propenyl, 2-propenyl (allyl), iso-propenyl, 2-methyl-1-propenyl, 1-butenyl, and 2-butenyl.

As used herein, the term “alkynyl” refers to a linear or branched hydrocarbon chain radical having at least one triple bond including, but not limited to, ethynyl, propynyl, and butynyl.

As used herein, the term “carbonyl” refers to a >C═O moiety. Alkoxycarbonylamino (i.e. alkoxy(C═O)—NH—) refers to an alkyl carbamate group. The carbonyl group is also equivalently defined herein as (C═O).

As used herein, the term “phenyl-[(alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—” refers to a N.N′—disubstituted amide group of the formula

As used herein, the term “aryl” refers to an aromatic radical such as, for example, phenyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, and indanyl.

As used herein, the term “heteroaryl” refers to an aromatic group containing at least one heteroatom selected from O, S and N. For example, heteroaryl groups include, but are not limited to, pyridyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, thienyl, furyl, imidazolyl, pyrrolyl, oxazolyl (e.g., 1,3-oxazolyl, 1,2-oxazolyl), thiazolyl (e.g., 1,2-thiazolyl, 1,3-thiazolyl), pyrazolyl, tetrazolyl, triazolyl (e.g., 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl), oxadiazolyl (e.g., 1,2,3-oxadiazolyl), thiadiazolyl (e.g., 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl), quinolyl, isoquinolyl, benzothienyl, benzofuryl, and indolyl.

As used herein, the term “heterocyclic” refers to a saturated or unsaturated C₃–C₂₀ mono-, bi- or polycyclic group containing at least one heteroatom selected from N, O, and S. Examples of heterocyclic groups include, but are not limited to, azetidinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, imidazolidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, piperazinyl, oxazolidinyl, thiazolidinyl, pyrazolidinyl, thiomorpholinyl, tetrahydrothiazinyl, tetrahydro-thiadiazinyl, morpholinyl, oxetanyl, tetrahydrodiazinyl, oxazinyl, oxcithiazinyl, indolinyl, isoindolinyl, quincuclidinyl, chromanyl, isochromanyl, benzocazinyl, and the like. Examples of monocyclic saturated or unsaturated ring systems are tetrahydrofuran-2-yl, tetrahydrofuran-3-yl, imidazolidin-1-yl, imidazolidin-2-yl, imidazolidin-4-yl, pyrrolidin-1-yl, pyrrolidin-2-yl, pyrrolidin-3-yl, piperidin-1-yl, piperidin-2-yl, piperidin-3-yl, piperazin-1-yl, piperazin-2-yl, piperazin-3-yl, 1,3-oxazolidin-3-yl, isothiazolidine, 1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl, 1,2-pyrazolidin-2-yl, 1,3-pyrazolidin-1-yl, thiomorpholin-yl, 1,2-tetrahydrothiazin-2-yl, 1,3-tetrahydrothiazin-3-yl, tetrahydrothiadiazin-yl, morpholin-yl, 1,2-tetrahydrodiazin-2-yl, 1,3-tetrahydrodiazin-1-yl, 1,4-oxazin-2-yl, and 1,2,5-oxathiazin-4-yl.

As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt” refers to non-toxic acid addition salts, i.e., salts derived from pharmacologically acceptable anions, such as the hydrochloride, hydrobromide, hydroiodide, nitrate, sulfate, bisulfate, phosphate, acid phosphate, acetate, lactate, citrate, acid citrate, tartrate, bitartrate, succinate, maleate, fumarate, gluconate, saccharate, benzoate, methanesulfonate, ethanesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate and pamoate [i.e., 1,1′-methylene-bis-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoate)]salts.

As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salt” refers to non-toxic base addition salts, i.e., salts derived from such pharmacologically acceptable cations such as alkali metal cations (e.g., potassium and sodium) and alkaline earth metal cations (e.g., calcium and magnesium), ammonium or water-soluble amine addition salts such as N-methylglucamine-(meglumine), and the lower alkanolammonium and other base salts of pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines.

As used herein, the term “suitable substituent”, “substituent” or “substituted” refers to a chemically and pharmaceutically acceptable functional group, ie., a moiety that does not negate the inhibitory and/or therapeutic activity of the inventive compounds. Such suitable substituents may be routinely selected by those skilled in the art. Illustrative examples of suitable substituents include, but are not limited to, carbonyl, halo, haloalkyl, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, hydroxy, oxo, mercapto, alkylthio, alkoxy, aryl or heteroaryl, aryloxy or heteroaryloxy, aralkyl or heteroaralkyl, aralkoxy or heteroaralkoxy, HO—(C═O)—, ester, amido, ether, amino, alkyl- and dialkylamino, cyano, nitro, carbamoyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many substituents can be substituted by additional substituents.

As used herein, the term “TGF-related disease state” refers to any disease state mediated by the production of TGF-β.

As used herein, the term “Ph” refers to phenyl.

As used herein, the term “a saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic C₃–C₂₀ mono-, bi- or polycyclic ring optionally containing at least one heteroatom” refers to, but is not limited to,

where R^(2a) is independently selected from the group consisting of: (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, (C₅–C₁₀)aryl, (C₁–C₆)alkylaryl, amino, carbonyl, carboxyl, (C₂–C₆)acid, (C₁–C₆)ester, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, nitro, halo, hydroxyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy(C₁–C₆)ester, and those groups described in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/094,717, 10/094,760, and 10/115,952, each of which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference; and where alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, amino, acid, ester, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, and alkoxy of R^(2a) is optionally substituted by at least one moiety independently selected from the group consisting of halo, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, phenyl, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl, (C₅–C₁₀)heterocyclic, formyl, NC—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, HO—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂-N—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, O₂N—, amino, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂-amino, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, phenyl-(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, H₂N—(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-HN—(C═O)—NH—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-HN—(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(C═O)—[(C₁–C₆)alkyl-N]—, phenyl-HN—(C═O)—NH—, (phenyl)₂N—(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-HN—(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, (phenyl-)₂N—(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, phenyl-O—(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-O—(C═O)—[(alkyl)-N]—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂NH—, phenyl-SO₂NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—, phenyl-SO₂—, hydroxy, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, phenoxy, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—O—, (C₁–C₆)ester-(C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—, phenyl-(C═O)—O—, H₂N—(C═O)—O—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-HN—(C═O)—O—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(C═O)—O—, phenyl-HN—(C═O)—O—, and (phenyl)₂N—(C═O)—O—.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following reaction schemes illustrate the preparation of the compounds of the present invention. A compound of the invention may be prepared by methods analogous to those described in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/094,717, 10/094,760, and 10/115,952 and WO 02/40476. Unless otherwise indicated, R¹, R³, R⁶, R^(2a) and s in the reaction schemes and the discussion that follow are defined above.

Scheme 1 refers to the preparation of compounds of the formulae Ia, Ib and Ic. Referring to Scheme I, a compound of formula III was prepared from a compound of formula II by combining the compound with a catalyst such as PdCl₂(PPh)₂, in the presence of an additive such as CuI, and ethynyl-trimethyl-silane, at a temperature of about 0° C. to about 80° C., preferably about room temperature, in a polar solvent such as tetrahydrofuran. The compound of formula V was prepared from compound III by treatment with a base such as potassium carbonate, in a polar solvent such as methanol. Subsequent combining with a catalyst (such as palladium tetrakis), an additive (such as CuI), and a compound of formula IV, in a polar solvent such as tetrahydrofuran with an additional polar solvent such as tetramehtylethylenediamine, at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 100° C., preferably about 55° C. The compound of formula VI was prepared from compound V by treatment with trimethylsilylazide at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 160° C., preferably about 130° C., in a polar solvent such as dimethylformamide. The compounds of formulae Ia, Ib, and Ic are prepared from the compound of formula VI by treatment with a base such as potassium carbonate, and an alkyl halide R⁶X, in a polar solvent such as acetonitrile.

Preparation A

Preparation A refers to the preparation of compounds of the formula VIII which are intermediates in the preparation of compounds of the formula (Ia), (Ib) and (Ic) in Scheme 1. Referring to preparation A, compounds of formula VIII (equivalent to a compound of formula II of Scheme 1) are prepared as described in the literature (Moran, D. B.; Morton, G. O.; Albright, J. D., J. Heterocycl. Chem., Vol. 23, pp. 1071–1077 (1986)) or from compounds of formula VII wherein L′ is chloride, bromide or iodide, by reaction with hydrazine. A compound of formula VIII was prepared from a compound of formula VII with a cyclization reagent such as acid chloride, acid anhydride, trialkylorthoacetate or trialkylorthoformate. Compounds of formula VI are commercially available.

All pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs, tautomers, hydrates and solvates of a compound of the invention is also encompassed by the invention.

A compound of the invention which is basic in nature is capable of forming a wide variety of different salts with various inorganic and organic acids. Although such salts must be pharmaceutically acceptable for administration to animals and humans, it is often desirable in practice to initially isolate a compound of the invention from the reaction mixture as a pharmaceutically unacceptable salt and then simply convert the latter back to the free base compound by treatment with an alkaline reagent, and subsequently convert the free base to a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt. The acid addition salts of the base compounds of this invention are readily prepared by treating the base compound with a substantially equivalent amount of the chosen mineral or organic acid in an aqueous solvent medium or in a suitable organic solvent such as, for example, methanol or ethanol. Upon careful evaporation of the solvent, the desired solid salt is obtained.

The acids which can be used to prepare the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of the base compounds of this invention are those which form non-toxic acid addition salts, i.e., salts containing pharmacologically acceptable anions, such as chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, sulfate or bisulfate, phosphate or acid phosphate, acetate, lactate, citrate or acid citrate, tartrate or bitartrate, succinate, maleate, fumarate, gluconate, saccharate, benzoate, methanesulfonate and pamoate [i.e., 1,1′-methylene-bis-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoate)] salts.

A compound of the invention which is also acidic in nature, e.g., contains a COOH or tetrazole moiety, is capable of forming base salts with various pharmacologically acceptable cations. Although such salts must be pharmaceutically acceptable for administration to animals and humans, it is often desirable in practice to initially isolate a compound of the invention from the reaction mixture as a pharmaceutically unacceptable salt and then simply convert the latter back to the free acid compound by treatment with an acidic reagent, and subsequently convert the free acid to a pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salt. Examples of such pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts include the alkali metal or alkaline-earth metal salts and particularly, the sodium and potassium salts. These salts can be prepared by conventional techniques. The chemical bases which can be used as reagents to prepare the pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts of this invention are those which form non-toxic base salts with the herein described acidic compounds of the invention. These non-toxic base salts include salts derived from such pharmacologically acceptable cations as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, etc. These salts can easily be prepared by treating the corresponding acidic compounds with an aqueous solution containing the desired pharmacologically acceptable cations, and then evaporating the resulting solution to dryness, preferably under reduced pressure. Alternatively, they may also be prepared by mixing lower alkanolic solutions of the acidic compounds and the desired alkali metal alkoxide together, and then evaporating the resulting solution to dryness in the same manner as before. In either case, stoichiometric quantities of reagents are preferably employed in order to ensure completeness of reaction and maximum product yields.

Isotopically-labeled compounds are also encompassed by the present invention. As used herein, an “isotopically-labeled compound” refers to a compound of the invention including pharmaceutical salts, prodrugs thereof, each as described herein, in which one or more atoms are replaced by an atom having an atomic mass or mass number different from the atomic mass or mass number usually found in nature. Examples of isotopes that can be incorporated into compounds of the invention include isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, fluorine and chlorine, such as ²H, ³H, ¹³C, ¹⁴C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁸O ¹⁷O, ³¹P, ³²P, ³⁵S, ¹⁸F, and ³⁶Cl, respectively.

By isotopically-labeling a compound of the present invention, the compounds may be useful in drug and/or substrate tissue distribution assays. Tritiated (³H) and carbon-14 (¹⁴C) labeled compounds are particularly preferred for their ease of preparation and detectability. Further, substitution with heavier isotopes such as deuterium (²H) can afford certain therapeutic advantages resulting from greater metabolic stability, for example increased in vivo half-life or reduced dosage requirements and, hence, may be preferred in some circumstances. Isotopically labeled compounds of the invention, including pharmaceutical salts, prodrugs thereof, can be prepared by any means known in the art.

Stereoisomers (e.g., cis and trans isomers) and all optical isomers of a compound of the invention (e.g., R and S enantiomers), as well as racemic, diastereomeric and other mixtures of such isomers are contemplated by the present invention.

The compounds, salts, prodrugs, tautomers, hydrates, and solvates of the present invention can exist in several tautomeric forms, including the enol and imine form, and the keto and enamine form and geometric isomers and mixtures thereof. All such tautomeric forms are included within the scope of the present invention. Tautomers exist as mixtures of a tautomeric set in solution. In solid form, usually one tautomer predominates. Even though one tautomer may be described, the present invention includes all tautomers of the present compounds.

The present invention also includes atropisomers of the present invention. Atropisomers refer to compounds of the invention that can be separated into rotationally restricted isomers.

A compound of the invention, as described above, can be used in the manufacture of a medicament for the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of a TGF-related disease state in an animal or human.

A compound of the invention is a potent inhibitor of transforming growth factor (“TGF”)-β signaling pathway and are therefore of use in therapy. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of preventing or treating a TGF-related disease in an animal or human comprising the step of administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of the invention to the animal or human suffering from the TGF-related disease state.

As used herein, the term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to an amount of a compound of the invention required to inhibit the TGF-β signaling pathway. As would be understood by one of skill in the art, a “therapeutically effective amount” will vary from patient to patient and will be determined on a case by case basis. Factors to consider include, but are not limited to, the patient being treated, weight, health, compound administered, etc.

There are numerous disease states that can be treated by inhibition of the TGF-β signaling pathway. Such disease states include, but are not limited to, all types of cancer (e.g., breast, lung, colon, prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, melanoma, all hematological malignancies, etc.) as well as all types of fibrotic diseases (e.g., glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, hepatic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, arterial hyperplasia and restenosis, scleroderma, and dermal scarring).

The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one compound of the invention and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutically acceptable carrier may be any such carrier known in the art including those described in, for example, Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mack Publishing Co., (A. R. Gennaro edit. 1985). A pharmaceutical composition of the invention may be prepared by conventional means known in the art including, for example, mixing at least one compound of the invention with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

A pharmaceutical composition of the invention may be used in the prevention or treatment of a TGF-related disease state, as described above, in an animal or human. Thus, a compound of the invention may be formulated as a pharmaceutical composition for oral, buccal, intranasal, parenteral (e.g., intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous), topical, or rectal administration or in a form suitable for administration by inhalation or insufflation.

For oral administration, the pharmaceutical composition may take the form of, for example, a tablet or capsule prepared by conventional means with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient such as a binding agent (e.g., pregelatinized maize starch, polyvinylpyrrolidone or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose); filler (e.g., lactose, microcrystalline cellulose or calcium phosphate); lubricant (e.g., magnesium stearate, talc or silica); disintegrant (e.g., potato starch or sodium starch glycolate); or wetting agent (e.g., sodium lauryl sulphate). The tablets may be coated by methods well known in the art. Liquid preparations for oral administration may take the form of a, for example, solution, syrup or suspension, or they may be presented as a dry product for constitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use. Such liquid preparations may be prepared by conventional means with a pharmaceutically acceptable additive such as a suspending agent (e.g., sorbitol syrup, methyl cellulose or hydrogenated edible fats); emulsifying agent (e.g., lecithin or acacia); non-aqueous vehicle (e.g., almond oil, oily esters or ethyl alcohol); and preservative (e.g., methyl or propyl p-hydroxybenzoates or sorbic acid).

For buccal administration, the composition may take the form of tablets or lozenges formulated in conventional manner.

A compound of the present invention may also be formulated for sustained delivery according to methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Examples of such formulations can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,538,214, 4,060,598, 4,173,626, 3,119,742, and 3,492,397, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

A compound of the invention may be formulated for parenteral administration by injection, including using conventional catheterization techniques or infusion. Formulations for injection may be presented in unit dosage form, e.g., in ampules or in multi-dose containers, with an added preservative. The compositions may take such forms as suspensions, solutions or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles, and may contain a formulating agent such as a suspending, stabilizing and/or dispersing agent. Alternatively, the active ingredient may be in powder form for reconstitution with a suitable vehicle, e.g., sterile pyrogen-free water, before use.

A compound of the invention may also be formulated in rectal compositions such as suppositories or retention enemas, e.g., containing conventional suppository bases such as cocoa butter or other glycerides.

For intranasal administration or administration by inhalation, a compound of the invention may be conveniently delivered in the form of a solution or suspension from a pump spray container that is squeezed or pumped by the patient or as an aerosol spray presentation from a pressurized container or a nebulizer, with the use of a suitable propellant, e.g., dichlorodifluoromethane, trichlorofluoromethane, dichlorotetrafluoroethane, carbon dioxide or other suitable gas. In the case of a pressurized aerosol, the dosage unit may be determined by providing a valve to deliver a metered amount. The pressurized container or nebulizer may contain a solution or suspension of the compound of the invention. Capsules and cartridges (made, for example, from gelatin) for use in an inhaler or insufflator may be formulated containing a powder mix of a compound of the invention and a suitable powder base such as lactose or starch.

A proposed dose of a compound of the invention for oral, parenteral or buccal administration to the average adult human for the treatment of a TGF-related disease state is about 0.1 mg to about 2000 mg, preferably, about 0.1 mg to about 200 mg of the active ingredient per unit dose which could be administered, for example, 1 to 4 times per day.

Aerosol formulations for treatment of the conditions referred to above in the average adult human are preferably arranged so that each metered dose or “puff” of aerosol contains about 20 μg to about 10,000 μg, preferably, about 20 μg to about 1000 μg of a compound of the invention. The overall daily dose with an aerosol will be within the range from about 100 μg to about 100 mg, preferably, about 100 μg to about 10 mg. Administration may be several times daily, for example 2, 3, 4 or 8 times, giving for example, 1, 2 or 3 doses each time.

Aerosol combination formulations for treatment of the conditions referred to above in the average adult human are preferably arranged so that each metered dose or “puff” of aerosol contains from about 0.01 mg to about 1000 mg, preferably, about 0.01 mg to about 100 mg of a compound of this invention, more preferably from about 1 mg to about 10 mg of such compound. Administration may be several times daily, for example 2, 3, 4 or 8 times, giving for example, 1, 2 or 3 doses each time.

Aerosol formulations for treatment of the conditions referred to above in the average adult human are preferably arranged so that each metered dose or “puff” of aerosol contains from about 0.01 mg to about 20,000 mg, preferably, about 0.01 mg to about 2000 mg of a compound of the invention, more preferably from about 1 mg to about 200 mg. Administration may be several times daily, for example 2, 3, 4 or 8 times, giving for example, 1, 2 or 3 doses each time.

For topical administration, a compound of the invention may be formulated as an ointment or cream.

This invention also encompasses pharmaceutical compositions containing and methods of treatment or prevention comprising administering prodrugs of at least one compound of the invention. As used herein, the term “prodrug” refers to a pharmacologically inactive derivative of a parent drug molecule that requires biotransformation, either spontaneous or enzymatic, within the organism to release the active drug. Prodrugs are variations or derivatives of the compounds of this invention which have groups cleavable under metabolic conditions. Prodrugs become the compounds of the invention which are pharmaceutically active in vivo, when they undergo solvolysis under physiological conditions or undergo enzymatic degradation. Prodrug compounds of this invention may be called single, double, triple etc., depending on the number of biotransformation steps required to release the active drug within the organism, and indicating the number of functionalities present in a precursor-type form. Prodrug forms often offer advantages of solubility, tissue compatibility, or delayed release in the mammalian organism (see, Bundgard, Design of Prodrugs, pp. 7–9, 21–24, Elsevier, Amsterdam 1985 and Silverman, The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action, pp. 352–401, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif., 1992). Prodrugs commonly known in the art include acid derivatives well known to practitioners of the art, such as, for example, esters prepared by reaction of the parent acids with a suitable alcohol, or amides prepared by reaction of the parent acid compound with an amine, or basic groups reacted to form an acylated base derivative. Moreover, the prodrug derivatives of this invention may be combined with other features herein taught to enhance bioavailability. For example, a compound of the invention having free amino, amido, hydroxy or carboxylic groups can be converted into prodrugs. Prodrugs include compounds wherein an amino acid residue, or a polypeptide chain of two or more (e.g., two, three or four) amino acid residues which are covalently joined through peptide bonds to free amino, hydroxy or carboxylic acid groups of compounds of the invention. The amino acid residues include the 20 naturally occurring amino acids commonly designated by three letter symbols and also include, 4-hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, demosine, isodemosine, 3-methylhistidine, norvalin, beta-alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, citrulline homocysteine, homoserine, omithine and methionine sulfone. Prodrugs also include compounds wherein carbonates, carbamates, amides and alkyl esters which are covalently bonded to the above substituents of a compound of the invention through the carbonyl carbon prodrug sidechain.

According to the invention, in the treatment of a TGF-related disease state, a compound of the invention, as described herein, whether alone or as part of a pharmaceutical composition may be combined with another compound(s) of the invention and/or with another therapeutic agent(s). Examples of suitable therapeutic agent(s) include, but are not limited to, standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (hereinafter NSAID's) (e.g, piroxicam, diclofenac), propionic acids (e.g., naproxen, flubiprofen, fenoprofen, ketoprofen and ibuprofen), fenamates (e.g., mefenamic acid, indomethacin, sulindac, apazone), pyrazolones (e.g., phenylbutazone), salicylates (e.g., aspirin), COX-2 inhibitors (e.g., celecoxib, valdecoxib, rofecoxib and etoricoxib), analgesics and intraarticular therapies (e.g., corticosteroids) and hyaluronic acids (e.g., hyalgan and synvisc), anticancer agents (e.g., endostatin and angiostatin), cytotoxic drugs (e.g., adriamycin, daunomycin, cis-platinum, etoposide, taxol, taxotere),alkaloids (e.g., vincristine), and antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate), cardiovascular agents (e.g., calcium channel blockers), lipid lowering agents (e.g., statins), fibrates, beta-blockers, Ace inhibitors, Angiotensin-2 receptor antagonists and platelet aggregation inhibitors, CNS agents (e.g., as antidepressants (such as sertraline)), anti-Parkinsonian drugs (e.g., deprenyl, L-dopa, Requip, Mirapex), MAOB inhibitors (e.g., selegine and rasagiline), comP inhibitors (e.g., Tasmar), A-2 inhibitors, dopamine reuptake inhibitors, NMDA antagonists, Nicotine agonists, Dopamine agonists and inhibitors of neuronal nitric oxide synthase), anti-Alzheimer's drugs (e.g., donepezil, tacrine, COX-2 inhibitors, propentofylline or metryfonate), osteoporosis agents (e.g., roloxifene, droloxifene, lasofoxifene or fosomax), and immunosuppressant agents (e.g., FK-506 and rapamycin).

Biological Activity

The activity of the compounds of the invention for the various TGF-related disease states as described herein can be determined according to one or more of the following assays. According to the invention, a compound of the invention exhibits an in vitro IC₅₀ value of less than about 10 μM. For example, the compound of Example 2 exhibits a TβRI IC₅₀ value of about 58 nM.

The compounds of the present invention also possess differential activity (i.e. are selective for) for TβRI over TβRII and TβRIII. Selectivity is measured in standard assays as a IC₅₀ ratio of inhibition in each assay.

TGF-β Type II Receptor (TβRII) Kinase Assay Protocol

Phosphorylation of myelin basic protein (MBP) by the TβRII kinase was measured as follows: 80 microliters of MBP (Upstate Biotechnology #13–104) diluted in kinase reaction buffer (KRB) containing 50 mM MOPS, 5 mM MgCl₂, pH 7.2 to yield a final concentration of 3 micromolar MBP was added to each well of a Millipore 96-well multiscreen-DP 0.65 micron filtration plate (#MADPNOB50). 20 microliters of inhibitor diluted in KRB was added to appropriate wells to yield the desired final concentration (10-0.03 micromolar). 10 microliters of a mixture of ATP (Sigma #A-5394) and ³³P-ATP (Perkin Elmer #NEG/602H) diluted in KRB was added to yield a final concentration of 0.25 micromolar ATP and 0.02 microcuries of ³³P-ATP per well. 10 microliters of a GST-TβRII fusion protein (glutathione S-transferase at the N-terminal end of the cytoplasmic domain of TβRII-amino acids 193–567 with A to V change at 438) diluted in KRB was added to each well to yield a final concentration of 27 nanomolar GST-TβRII. Plates were mixed and incubated for 90 minutes at room temperature. After the reaction incubation, 100 microliters of cold 20% trichloroacetic acid (Aldrich #25,139-9) was added per well and plates were mixed and incubated for 60 minutes at 4° C. Liquid was then removed from the wells using a Millipore vacuum manifold. Plates were washed once with 200 microliters per well of cold 10% trichloroacetic acid followed by two washes with 100 microliters per well of cold 10% trichloroacetic acid. Plates were allowed to dry overnight at room temperature. 20 microliters of Wallac OptiPhase SuperMix scintillation cocktail was added to each well. Plates were sealed and counted using a Wallac 1450 Microbeta liquid scintillation counter. The potency of inhibitors was determined by their ability to reduce TβRII-mediated phosphorylation of the MBP substrate.

ALK-5 (TβRI) Kinase Assay Protocol

The kinase assays were performed with 65 nM GST-ALK5 and 84 nM GST-Smad3 in 50 mM HEPES, 5 mM MgCl₂, 1 mM CaCl₂, 1 mM dithiothreitol, and 3_M ATP. Reactions were incubated with 0.5_Ci of [33 P]_ATP for 3 h at 30° C. Phosphorylated protein was captured on P-81 paper (Whatman, Maidstone, England), washed with 0.5% phosphoric acid, and counted by liquid scintillation. Alternatively, Smad3 or Smad1 protein was also coated onto FlashPlate Sterile Basic Microplates (PerkinElmer Life Sciences, Boston, Mass.). Kinase assays were then performed in Flash-Plates with same assay conditions using either the kinase domain of ALK5 with Smad3 as substrate or the kinase domain of ALK6 (BMP receptor) with Smad1 as substrate. Plates were washed three times with phosphate buffer and counted by TopCount (Packard Bio-science, Meriden, Conn.). (Laping, N.J. et al. Molecular Pharmacology 62:58–64 (2002)).

The following Examples illustrate the preparation of the compounds of the present invention. Melting points are uncorrected. NMR data are reported in parts per million (d) and are referenced to the deuterium lock signal from the sample solvent (deuteriochloroform unless otherwise specified). Mass Spectral data were obtained using a Micromass ZMD APCI Mass Spectrometer equipped with a Gilson gradient high performance liquid chromatograph. The following solvents and gradients were used for the analysis. Solvent A; 98% water/2% acetonirile/0.01% formic acid and solvent B; acetonitrile containing 0.005% formic acid. Typically, a gradient was run over a period of about 4 minutes starting at 95% solvent A and ending with 100% solvent B. The mass spectrum of the major eluting component was then obtained in positive or negative ion mode scanning a molecular weight range from 165 AMU to 1100 AMU. Specific rotations were measured at room temperature using the sodium D line (589 nm). Commercial reagents were utilized without further purification. THF refers to tetrahydrofuran. DMF refers to N,N-dimethylformamide. Chromatography refers to column chromatography performed using 32–63 mm silica gel and executed under nitrogen pressure (flash chromatography) conditions. Room or ambient temperature refers to 20–25° C. All non-aqueous reactions were run under a nitrogen atmosphere for convenience and to maximize yields. Concentration at reduced pressure means that a rotary evaporator was used.

One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some cases protecting groups may be required during preparation. After the target molecule is made, the protecting group can be removed by methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as described in Greene and Wuts, “Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis” (2^(nd) Ed, John Wiley & Sons 1991).

Analytical high performance liquid chromatography on reverse phase with mass spectrometry detection (LSMS) was done using Polaris 2×20 mm C18 column. Gradient elution was applied with increase of concentration of acetonitrile in 0.01% aqueous formic acid from 5% to 100% during 3.75 min period. Mass spectrometer Micromass ZMD was used for molecular ion identification.

EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of 3-Isopropyl-6-[5-(3-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine

Step A: Preparation of 3-Isopropyl-6-trimethylsilanylethynyl-[1,2,4,]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine

To a 125 mL round bottom flask was added 3-isopropyl-6-Bromo-[1,2,4]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine (3.51 g, 14.6 mmol, 1 equivalent) and 29 mL of dry THF. This solution was bubbled with argon gas for 5 minutes. 28 mg (0.15 mmol) of copper iodide, 205 mg (0.3 mmol) of bis(triphenylphosphine) palladium (II) chloride, and 4.13 mL (29.2 mmol, d=0.695) of (trimethylsilyl)acetylene were added. Finally, 4.1 mL (29.2 mmol, d=0.722) of diisopropylamine was added drop wise. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature and under argon for 24 hours. The reaction mixture was then filtered through celite (packed in ethyl acetate) and the celite was washed with 150 mL of ethyl acetate. This filtrate was concentrated, and the residue was suspended in 125 mL of water, which was then extracted with (3×70 mL) ethyl acetate. The organic extracts were combined, dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated to dryness. The product was then purified by flash column chromatography (Biotage flash 40M silica gel packed cartridge) using a 0 to 10% ethyl acetate/chloroform solvent step-gradient which yielded 2.5 grams (66%) of a brown solid. HPLC t_(R)=5.73 min (88%), LC-MS=258 (M+1).

Step B: Preparation of 3-Isopropyl-6-ethynyl-[1,2,4]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine

To a 250 mL round bottom flask was added 2.5 g (9.71 mmol) of 3-Isopropyl-6-trimethylsilanylethynyl-[1,2,4]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine, 50 mL of methanol, and 4.03 g (29.1 mmol) of potassium carbonate. This suspension was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours. The reaction mixture was concentrated, and the residue was suspended in 100 mL of water, which was extracted with (2×100 mL) ethyl acetate. The organic extracts were combined, washed with 100 mL of a 1:1 solution of brine and water, dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated to dryness to yield 1.47 grams (82%) of a light brown solid. HPLC t_(R)=3.22 min (93%), LC-MS=186 (M+1).

Step C: Preparation of 3-Isopropyl-6-(6-methylpyridin-2-ylethynyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine

To a 250 mL round bottom flask was added 1.47 grams (7.94 mmol) of 3-Isopropyl-6-ethynyl-[1,2,4]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine, 40 mL of anhydrous THF, 40 mL of TMEDA, 279 mg (0.4 mmol) of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (II) chloride, 151 mg (0.8 mmol) of copper iodide, and 1.8 mL (15.9 mmol, d=1.512) of 2-bromo-6-methylpyridine. Argon gas was bubbled into the reaction mixture for 5 minutes. The reaction mixture was stirred at 60° C. for 5 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled and concentrated to dryness. The residue was suspended in a mixture of ethyl acetate and water (80 mL each) and filtered through celite that was packed with ethyl acetate. The celite was washed with 100 mL of ethyl acetate. After separating the organic layer, the filtrate was extracted with 50 mL of ethyl acetate. All the organic layers were combined, washed with 100 mL of water, then washed with 100 mL of brine, dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated. Product was purified by flash column chromatography (Biotage flash 40M silica gel packed cartridge) using a 0 to 80% ethyl acetate/chloroform solvent step-gradient which yielded 840 milligrams (38%) of an orange syrup. HPLC t_(R)=4.27 min (100%), LC-MS=277 (M+1).

Step D: Preparation of 3-Isopropyl-6-[5-(6-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-1H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine

To a 10 mL flask was added 100 mg (0.36 mmol) of 3-Isopropyl-6-(6-methylpyridin-2-ylethynyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo(4,3-a)pyridine, 1.5 mL of anhydrous DMF, and 168 μL (1.3 mmol) of azidotrimethylsilane. The reaction mixture was heated to reflux for 16 hours. After concentrating, the residue was suspended in 30 mL of water and was extracted with (2×30 mL) ethyl acetate. The organic extracts were combined, washed with 20 mL of water, 20 mL of brine, dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated. Product was purified by Shimodzu prep. HPLC using a 5 to 60% acetonitrile/buffer gradient (buffer is water with 0.1% formic acid, and the acetonitrile contains 0.1% formic acid as well) which yielded 45 milligrams (39%) of a light brown solid. HPLC t_(R)=3.71 min (98%), LC-MS=320 (M+1).

EXAMPLE 2 3-Methyl-6-[5-(6-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine

The title compound was prepared according to procedures analogous to those described in Example 1. HPLC t_(R)=3.22 min, LC-MS=292 (M+1).

EXAMPLE 3 6-[5-(6-Methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-quinazoline

The title compound was prepared according to procedures analogous to those described in Example 1. HPLC t_(R)=3.46 min, LC-MS=289 (M+1).

All publications, including but not limited to, issued patents, patent applications, and journal articles, cited in this application are each herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to the disclosed embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the specific experiments detailed are only illustrative of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims. 

1. A compound of formula (Ia), (Ib), or (Ic):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, tautomer, hydrate or thereof, wherein: R¹ is a group of the formula

 wherein R¹ can optionally be further independently substituted with at least one moiety independently selected from the group consisting of: carbonyl, halo, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, hydroxy, oxo, mercapto, (C₁-C₆)alkylthio, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₅–C₁₀)aryl, (C₅–C₁₀)aryloxy, (C₅–C₁₀)ar(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₅–C₁₀)ar(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, HO—(C═O)—, ester, amido, ether, amino, amino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, di(C₁–C₆)alkylamino(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl- and di(C₁–C₆)alkylamino, cyano, nitro, carbamoyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylcarbonyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxycarbonyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylaminocarbonyl, di(C₁–C₆)alkylaminocarbonyl, (C₅–C₁₀)arylcarbonyl, (C₅–C₁₀)aryloxycarbonyl, (C₁–C₆)alkylsulfonyl, and (C₅–C₁₀)arylsulfonyl; each R³ is independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, halo, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, phenyl, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, hydroxy, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, phenoxy, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-S—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—SO₂—, O₂N—, NC—, amino, Ph(CH₂)₁₋₆HN—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl HN—, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino, [(C₁–C₆)alkyl]₂-amino, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—NH—, amino(C═O)—, aminoO₂S—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—[(((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, phenyl-(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—, HO—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, H₂N(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, [(C₁–C₆)alkyl]₂—N—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-NH—(C═O)— and (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—O—; where alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, amino of R³ is optionally substituted by at least one substituent independently selected from (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, halo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, halo, H₂N—, Ph(CH₂)₁₋₆HN—, and (C₁–C₆)alkylHN—; s is an integer from one to five; and R⁶ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, phenyl, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(SO₂)—, phenyl-(SO₂)—, H₂N—(SO₂)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(SO₂)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(SO₂)—, phenyl-NH—(SO₂)—, (phenyl)₂N—(SO₂)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, (C₅–C₁₀)heteroaryl-(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—(C═O)—, H₂N—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-NH—(C═O)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂N—(C═O)—, (phenyl)₂N—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, and (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—; where alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, benzyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, amino of R⁶ is optionally substituted with at least one moiety independently selected from the group consisting of halo, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₂–C₆)alkenyl, (C₂–C₆)alkynyl, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂—, formyl, NC—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—, (C₃C ₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—, phenyl-(C═O)—, HO—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—(C═O)—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-NH—(C═O)—, phenyl-NH—(C═O)—, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂-N—(C═O)—, phenyl-[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—(C═O)—, hydroxy, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perhalo(C₁–C₆)alkoxy, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-O—, phenoxy, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—O—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—O—, phenyl-(C═O)—O—, O₂N—, amino, (C₁–C₆)alkylamino, ((C₁–C₆)alkyl)₂-amino, formamidyl, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-(C═O)—NH—, phenyl-(C═O)—NH—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-(C═O)—[((C₁–C₆)alkyl)-N]—, phenyl-(C═O)—[(C₁–C₆)alkyl-N]—, (C₁–C₆)alkyl-SO₂NH—, (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl-SO₂NH—, phenyl-SO₂NH—, wherein the phenyl moiety of a R⁶ substituent is optionally further substituted with at least one radical independently selected from the group consisting of halo, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, (C₁–C₆)alkoxy, perfluoro(C₁–C₆)alkyl and perfluoro(C₁–C₆)alkoxy.
 2. A compound of claim 1, wherein s is one to two; R³ is hydrogen or (C₁–C₆)alkyl; and R⁶ is H, (C₁–C₆)alkyl, or (C₃–C₁₀)cycloalkyl.
 3. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 4. A compound 6-[5-(6-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-quinazoline or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 5. A pharmaceutical composition comprising 6-[5-(6-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-yl]-quinazoline or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 